The Red in Orange and Purple
by SanDemonMax
Summary: Boy saves girl from bullies. Boy's scarf suffers, but girl saves it. With physical proof of their meeting, Naruto asserts himself as Hinata's friend, and when she fixes the scarf, she becomes someone precious to him. Even one person to well and truly fight for can make a world of difference. T for language and safety.
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer: I'm gonna own a Mustang, soon. Does it count if I call it Naruto?**

* * *

Bleary blue eyes opened up at the incessant beeping invading his dreams. He glared at the offender and noted the time to be 8:00, one hour before school, before slamming the alarm's off button. He then sat up in bed and stretched big, yawning. A quick glance at the calendar woke him up the rest of the way.

"Aw, crap! Team assignments are today, dammit! Iruka-sensei'll chew my ass if I'm late for this, y'know!"

Naruto jumped out of bed and grabbed his jumpsuit before rushing to the bathroom to shower. Just as the clock struck 8:15, Naruto, fully dressed and drying his head, stepped back out and strapped his shuriken holster to his leg.

That done, he headed for the kitchen and pulled out an oatmeal bar (courtesy of Iruka-sensei helping him shop) before moving to the front door and smiling as he took off the last piece of cloth hanging on the hook and wrapping his neck.

Ready to go, he left his apartment and locked up, before jumping the guard rail to the ground and running towards school even as he ate, red scarf whipping in the wind behind him.

_Starting today, I'm one step closer to becoming Hokage! I'll prove my worth to everyone, y'know. Lord Fourth, old man Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Hinata…watch me!_

* * *

**How's THAT for a prologue! … Way too short for my taste, actually. Did I mention the writer's block? I'm gonna see if doing another story can distract me from worrying too much about Ripples of a Pebble as I slowly – SLOWLY – make notes for the first Zabuza fight.**

**Bleh.**

**This story is gonna follow Naruto. The difference is his scarf mostly surviving the fight with those bullies that ganged on the two; Hinata, having some materials, did a quick patch job of major holes.**

**With the scarf being a tangible proof of his meeting Hinata, Naruto made an effort to be friends, as I plan to explain in flashbacks. So how's this going to affect him? Fuck if I know; give me a week to flesh this out.**

**Don't be too worried about RoaP, I'm not abandoning it. My brain is abandoning me.**

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Team Assignment

**Disclaimer: I have plans to steal the rights to Naruto from Kishimoto.  
Problem: Plane ticket to Japan is too much**

* * *

Soft footsteps pattered into the room as Hinata entered with her head bowed. Even though she had graduated and risen to Genin, a celebratory time for most children, all she could think was that Naruto had failed, and so would be held back. The very thought that she would no longer be able to play with her friend/secret crush devastated her.

Even so, she couldn't help but look to the door each time it opened up, hoping to see a mop of blond step through. Aside from Ino's customary race with Sakura, no such event happened. She had given up about five minutes before class was to officially start and laid her head on her arms.

Wait, who was running down the hall so fast…?

_SLAM!_

"Made it in time, y'know!" A panting, familiar voice reached her ears, and she dared to hope once more, looking to the door to see familiar golden hair and blue eyes, the latter scanning the room until they connected with her own. Naruto grinned his megawatt grin and waved.

"Hey, Naruto, the hell are you doing in here? Today's team assignments, so only graduates are allowed!"

The blond's grin turned smug as he looked over to Kiba, jabbing a thumb to his forehead. "I know that, you prick! Take a look and tell me I didn't graduate!"

Even as Kiba studied for one second before nodding and flashing his friend his own grin and a thumbs up, Hinata couldn't help but really take in what had replaced Naruto's goggles.

A real Leaf forehead protector.

A small gasp escaped her lips even as a smile took its place on them. Naruto bounded up to her and sat down in the empty spot to her left. "Hey, hey, Hinata, look! See?" He adjusted the plate on his forehead, getting some light to glint off.

"Y-yes, I do." The heiress nodded, and shut her eyes as her smile widened. "Congratulations, Naruto."

The blond only chuckled in response and rubbed a finger under his nose.

"Alright everyone, settle down! Naruto, you were cutting it close there; I saw you run into the room." Iruka smiled slightly as he waved off Naruto's apology. "Now, for those students that are in this room, congratulations. You are officially ninja!" Faces lit up and some kids cheered. "But even then, you're Genin: lowest of the low. It only gets tougher from here on, so be sure to do your best!

"Now, for team assignments. Team 1: …"

Naruto tuned most of Iruka's words out, half-heartedly listening to the names so that he would know who his teammates would be. It would take a few minutes to hear it. "Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto," the blond shot to attention, and Hinata seemed to lend more of an ear next to him, "Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto groaned and slammed his head on the desk, grasping his scarf, "and Hyuuga Hinata." The heiress gasped as her face lit up as red as her benchmate's scarf, and Naruto's head shot back up, a grin present as he turned to his friend.

"Hey, hey, Hinata! We're on the same team, y'know! Ain't that awesome?" he asked quietly, as the Chunin in the front of the room finished off teams (and some fan girls moaned in despair).

The young girl looked over to the whiskered boy shyly, before averting her gaze to her hands. She nodded as a smile took place on her lips. "Y-Yes; I'm happy we're teammates…"

"Heheh!" Naruto's eyes shifted over to the Last Uchiha, and his face turned sour. "Sucks though that we're on the same team as that jerk. We don't even need 'im, y'know! Either of us could kick his ass."

Hinata looked to her friend in shock. "Eh? But…he's Rookie of the Year…"

"So what? Grades don't mean nothin'—"

"_Ahem."_

Naruto flinched and turned to see Iruka staring at him. "Er… Sorry, Iruka-sensei…"

Their eyes remained locked for a second longer before the Chunin addressed the class as a whole. "Now that you know who your teammates are, I suggest you use this opportunity to get to know each other better. You're all free to head out for a lunch break; meet back here by 1:30 this afternoon to meet your Jonin instructors." The scarred man flashed one more congratulatory smile before collecting his things and leaving, prompting the kids to mingle about.

"Hey, Hinata, you wanna get some lunch at Ichiraku's?" the blond of Team 7 asked his friend.

The girl smiled and nodded, before pale lavender eyes turned to the pair's third teammate a couple seats ahead of them. "Sasuke, would you like to join us?" Even as the Uchiha turned to look at them, Naruto pouted. Hinata, in a rare display of exasperation, rolled her eyes skyward. "He's our teammate, Naruto; we should be nice."

"Don't wanna, y'know!" Hinata giggled at his answer.

Sasuke studied his teammates as he thought over the Hyuuga's offer. He was…well, he wouldn't say _happy_, but more content with being on the same team as the heiress. This was mitigated by being on the same team as the class clown. The fool couldn't even make a decent clone as far as he knew (strangely, that was his _only_ problem jutsu). After a moment, he shrugged. "Why not; I'll come." He deadpanned at Naruto gaping. "Hinata _does_ have a point; we are on the same team, loathe as I am to admit it. We can use this time to get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses."

The blond continued his gape, until Hinata tapped his shoulder. This shook him out of his shock, and he sighed, shrugging himself. "Fine, I guess. C'mon; I'll pay!" He grasped his friend's hand, sending blood to her face, and rushed out of the room, leading Hinata out. Sasuke smacked his face and followed.

* * *

Soon enough, once the trio were seated at the ramen stand's counter, Ayame came out holding a pad and pen, smiling. "Naruto! Good to see you!" The blond grinned back. "Who're your friends?"

"This is Hyuuga Hinata," he slung an arm around the girl next to him, eliciting a small squeak from her that Ayame found herself cooing internally at. Naruto pointed a finger at Sasuke, who was on Hinata's other side. "That prick there is Sasuke." The Uchiha snorted. "We're all on the same team, y'know!"

"That right?" Sasuke watched as the waitress reached over the counter and poked two fingers into Naruto's forehead. He squeezed his fist tightly at the sight.

"Hey, quit it!" the blond laughed out, swatting at his big sister's hand.

The brunette grinned. "So what am I getting you?"

"Start me off with a large miso!" Naruto thrust his fists into the air.

The older girl nodded as she wrote the order and turned to the younger. "And you, miss Hyuuga?"

"Ah, erm…" She scanned the overhead menu quickly, before turning her eyes back to Ayame. "Vegetable, please, with extra noodles?"

Ayame sent black eyes to the Last Uchiha, who locked with his own before opening his mouth. "Vegetable as well, with extra tomatoes."

Once the orders were finalized, the waitress nodded. "It'll be a few minutes, so sit tight." With one last smile, she headed to the back to get the orders to her father.

"So," Naruto turned to address the two next to him after swallowing, some minutes later, "who do you think is gonna be our sensei?"

"I don't care one way or another, just so long as they can hold their own." Sasuke swirled his noodles around, not looking up from the bowl. "I would want someone ANBU level, but that's a pipe dream."

"I would be happy with Miss Kurenai." When Hinata saw the questioning glance both boys sent her way, she elaborated. "Miss Kurenai was one of my tutors while we were in school. I heard she was recently promoted to Jonin, which means she would be eligible to take a team."

Naruto nodded as he polished his bowl off. "Sounds awesome!"

"What's her specialty, if any?"

The heiress blinked, before turning to the Last Uchiha. "Genjutsu, I believe." She smiled, amused. "Perfect for you, Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke's visage shifted into amusement as he locked his gaze on Naruto. "You're rubbing off on her."

The blond chuckled and jumped from the stool as he laid money for the three bowls. "Ya think? C'mon, let's go find out!" He ran out of the shack, his teammates behind him, all off to begin their ninja careers.

* * *

**Yeah, yeah. Hinata and Naruto on the same team. I like it.**

**Actually, I haven't decided on an instructor yet, so leave me suggestions. Anyone is open game: Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma. Hell, even Spec. Jonin like Anko are possible.**

**It's also a very real possibility that the team's first (real) mission won't be Wave. Prior experience taught me I'm bad. *glares at RoaP drafts* I'm trying; cut me some slack.**

**I'm still fishing for TV Tropes recommendations for…either story now. It'd give me plenty of motivation to continue writing.**

_**Gracias por leer!**_


	3. Kakashi-Sensei

**Disclaimer: I (wish I could) own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto, somewhat uncharacteristically, watched as the others of his class filed into the classroom in silence. Sasuke looked over to his male teammate (and potential bodyguard against fangirls) with a confused, somewhat apprehensive look. "You're quiet," he spoke, getting the blond's attention. "You're _never_ quiet. Is this a sign of the world ending?"

The younger boy gave the older a nasty look, but turned his eyes back to the door. "Just thinkin'."

Pause.

"Is this a sign of the world ending?"

"Go fuck yourself!"

"N-Naruto…" Hinata tapped her friend on the shoulder, drawing him out of his ire at Sasuke. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just…" Naruto gave Sasuke one last look, before turning to Hinata and scratching at his birthmarks. "I'm wonderin' what our sensei's gonna be like. I mean, you said that Miss Kurenai was good at Genjutsu, right?" Both the Last Uchiha and the Hyuuga Princess nodded. "That's just one person though. And there's, like, ten teams. So what're the other nine like?"

"Loathe as I am to admit it out loud, Naruto has a point." Sasuke glanced at the door just as the last of the graduates entered the classroom. "There's virtually no chance that _all ten_ Jonin will all specialize in Genjutsu. There's bound to be those who excel in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu. Hell, maybe even a swordsman or two."

The sole female of Team 7 nodded as the sound of footsteps resounded outside of the room. A few seconds after, a man with silver hair and a bandana stuck his head in the door, scrutinizing the kids with what seemed to be a bored look, before removing the senbon needle from his mouth and calling for team 2. Time seemed to pass by quick as Jonin after Jonin picked up their team. About 2 hours after that, only three kids were left in the room.

"Hinata."

The heiress turned her head to the visibly annoyed blond. "N-Naruto? What is it?"

Naruto didn't answer for a second. Then, "Imma _prank_ sensei when they show up. _Really thoroughly._"

Sasuke snorted at the asinine comment, and was about to call Naruto out on his juvenile anger, when he was beaten to the punch by a stern "_No_, Naruto."

"But I'm this close to blowing something up, y'know!" The blond turned begging eyes to the girl, who didn't flinch (earning her brownie points with Sasuke). Naruto groaned in defeat and flopped onto a bench, burying his head into his arms.

The Last Uchiha turned to the Hyuuga. "And what, exactly, was that? Because it sounded like Naruto wasn't going to just prank our instructor."

The girl's stern façade broke as she looked off to the side in embarrassment. "Er, well… He was going to, in a way… It's just, his normal pranks aren't designed to physically harm anyone, and…"

"This one would've been harmful," Sasuke finished. She nodded in confirmation. Naruto stood up and walked over to the front of the room, grabbing an eraser and the chair, catching the two heirs' attentions. "Naruto, what are you doing?" the male asked.

"Givin' sensei a normal—" Naruto was cut off as the door opened up to reveal a tall, silver haired man with 75% of his face covered by a mask and his headband. All three kids stared incredulously.

"Well, I see that all of you kids are patient." His lone visible eye turned to Naruto, who was shaking in barely controlled rage. "Well, most of you. Meet me on the roof in five minutes, please."

He vanished in smoke a half second before the eraser that was in the blond's hand would have collided with his face.

"That…lousy…_fucking_…"

"Naruto, please, calm down…" Hinata walked over to the boy and laid a hand on his shoulder, drawing byzantium eyes to her. After a second, said eyes shut and Naruto let out a long breath, before opening them up and giving his friend a smile.

"Thanks, Hinata. Nearly lost myself there."

The girl smiled back with a blush. She nodded to the door, where Sasuke was waiting with his arms crossed. "Now come on, let's go meet Sensei. I'm not exactly happy with him, either, but we should make a good impression on him."

The two friends walked over to the silent Uchiha, and Team 7 headed up to the roof, where the scarecrow-like man was sitting on the edge rail in front of some steps, reading. The kids sat down in front of him and the Jonin put the orange book away. "Alright, then," the oldest one there spoke up. "Since we're all here, how about we introduce ourselves?"

"Erm, Sensei…" Naruto rose a hand. "What'cha mean by 'introduce'? Could ya show us?"

"Show you?" The man blinked, then shrugged. "Sure, I don't see any harm in that." He leveled a lazy eye at the three Genin. "My name is Kakashi Hatatke. My likes and dislikes are none of your business. Dreams for the future…" He paused for a moment, as if thinking. He then shrugged, as if giving up trying to find an answer. "I have a lot of hobbies, also."

The three kids all stared in uncontained shock. Naruto himself had his jaw open.

"You…just told us your name…"

"Did I?" Kakashi blinked at Naruto's observation, as if shocked. "Strange; I normally don't give away so much information. I must be slipping in my old age." He watched as the Jinchuriki's eyes flash crimson for a second, before returning to cerulean. "Why don't you go next, Spikes?"

The blond snapped his mouth shut, glaring at the man (who, in his opinion, had no room to talk), and pushed his locks down. They didn't stay down.

"Fine, I guess. Name's Naruto Uzumaki. I like my ramen, hangin' out with Hinata, and my scarf." He fingered the red fabric on his neck. "I dislike anyone who'd make judgements of people without gettin' to know 'em, and the three minutes it takes ramen to cook. My hobbies are gardening and training. And my dream is to be the best Hokage this village has seen, and prove to everyone I'm not some wild demon."

_So he knows about the Nine-Tails, then? _Kakashi gave him a critical stare, before he turned his eye to the girl in the center. "Why don't you go next?"

"Ah." Hinata shook herself of her distraction, and nodded. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga. My likes include spending time with Naruto, and flowers. I dislike people who would prematurely judge others, and the divide in the Hyuuga clan. My hobbies consist of pressing flowers, and training with Naruto, or my younger sister. And my dreams are to bring the Hyuuga clan into one big family, as well as…" She trailed off and shot lavender eyes over to the blond on her right, before blushing lightly. "Erm, my second dream is personal…"

_Hoo, boy; a crush._ Kakashi nodded and looked at the last Genin. "And you, Duckhair."

Hinata suppressed a giggle, and Naruto barked out a laugh, causing Sasuke glare at the blond, before moving the glare to the Jonin. The glare left his face with a sigh. "My name's Sasuke Uchiha. There's not a lot I like besides training, and I dislike a lot of things. Such as Naruto's childish humor." The accused just snorted in amusement. "My dream…no. My _ambition_, because I _will_ make it happen. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone."

_Itachi really did a number on him…_

_K-Kill?_

_Shit; hope he ain't talking about me._

"Alrighty, we got that out of the way." Kakashi clapped once, bringing six eyes to him. "So tomorrow, we'll all meet at Training Ground 7, the one with the three posts next to the river? Meet there at about 8 o'clock. We'll have a sort of mock mission, just us four." He smiled. Well, his eye smiled.

"Seriously? Awesome!" Naruto jumped to his feet in excitement. "What're we gonna do, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Survival training."

Everything seemed to stagnate at that sentence. Sasuke had a sinking feeling in his gut, despite Kakashi not moving in the slightest. "…Survival training? We…did that in school."

"Yes, but you see, this is going to be a bit different." Kakashi opened his eye and pinned the kids down with a stern stare. "You three will be fighting against me. And if you fail to impress me, you'll be sent back here," he poked the rail he was seated on, "for remedial classes."

"WHAT!?" Naruto shot up. "That's bullshit, y'know! All of us passed the graduation exam!"

"By doing what? Performing the Clone Jutsu. And that was it." Naruto sank back down. "That won't be enough to keep you guys alive when you take on real missions. At _best_, only nine of the 30 kids that passed the exam will continue on as Genin, if not _less_. The other 21 plus will come back here for another year." One of the kids audibly gulped. "But, I like you guys, so I'll give you some advice.

"Don't eat any breakfast tomorrow, or you'll puke it right back up during the test." Kakashi eye-smiled again and waved. "See you then!"

A silence washed over the three kids.

"We'll pass." The Hyuuga Princess and Last Uchiha turned to the blond, who had spoken quietly. "We'll pass sensei's damn test, an' show 'im we're not a bunch of morons." He returned the pair's look with a smirk. "We'll kick his ass."

"Hmph." Sasuke smirked back and closed his eyes. "I'll hold you to that, Naruto. See you two in the morning." The Uchiha turned and walked back into the building, heading home.

Naruto turned to give Hinata a small smile. "Hey, you wanna get something to eat?"

The girl blushed, but nodded anyway, smiling back. Almost teasingly, Naruto noted. "Something like Ramen Ichiraku?" The blond coughed into a fist and blushed himself. "I know somewhere that serves amazing steaks. We can go there." Naruto stared at the girl, as if silently protesting. Her smile didn't falter. "Father bought the restaurant out, so if the staff have any misgivings about serving us, they can speak with him."

The blond blinked, before grinning and rubbing a finger under his nose. "Heh. Mr. Hiashi's a cool guy. C'mon, let's go." The two stood up. Naruto hesitated, but grabbed Hinata's hand and gave it a squeeze, sending blood straight to her cheeks. He let go with a small blush of his own, and the two left the Academy rooftop.

* * *

**Ow my brain hurts.**

**Sorry, guys, but between this persistent writer's block, and me having a real life (shocking, I know), it's hard to do this. I'm not gonna quit, but I have to slow down my pacing, or I'll fry something in my head.**

**This story is easier to write out than Ripple, mainly because I backed myself into a corner with the Wave mission, so until I figure something out, that's on an official hiatus. Again, sorry guys. I'm not exactly happy with myself either.**

**As far as this story goes, I made a reference to the Nine-Tailed Fox's seal having enough of a weakness to make some visible changes…**

_**Wrong**_**. I made two references. One's fairly obvious; the other is a bit more subtle. Here's a hint: the changes happened to the same feature. Internet cookies for those who find it.**

**So be sure to review, favorite, follow, and trope the hell out of both my stories!**

_**Yonde kurete arigatō!**_


	4. Naruto, Hinata, and the Fox

**Disclaimer: I'm broke!**

**I'm running out of witty disclaimers. Er…**

* * *

Hinata took a deep breath and wiped at her forehead, before rapping her knuckles on the door in front of her, before waiting in silence. Then…

"Come in, Hinata."

The girl slid open the door and stepped inside of the office, sliding it shut and kneeling in front of her father. The man collected the documents on his table and put them aside, before leveling a stare at his eldest.

"Today was team assignments for those who graduated this year, correct?"

"Ah, yes, father." Hinata nodded. "I was placed on a team with Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, under the Jonin Hatake Kakashi."

The Hyuuga Head blinked. "Kakashi of the Sharingan?" He hummed slightly to himself in thought, noting the not-so-small widening of the girl's eyes. "That makes sense, if one of your teammates is the Last Uchiha."

"Sharingan, father?"

Hiashi nodded. "No one knows the details, but during Kakashi's first mission as a Jonin, during the Third World War to Kannabi Bridge, something happened that resulted in the death of his teammate Uchiha Obito. Kakashi most likely had his left eye slashed to uselessness, and Obito gifted him his Sharingan, apparently after receiving a mortal wound. It was a field transplant performed by their third teammate, Nohara Rin. As such, the Sharingan is constantly active."

"So Sensei wears his headband as he does, covering it so it doesn't drain his chakra?" Hiashi nodded at his daughter's observation.

The elder Hyuuga took a sip of his tea, before glancing at his daughter again. "You said your third teammate was Uzumaki, correct?"

Hinata felt heat rise to her face. "Ah, erm… Y-Yes, I did…"

Hiashi nodded once as he studied his daughter's red face. "… You're infatuated with him."

The red on her cheeks deepened as she looked everywhere but forward. "A-Ah, w-well, I… uh…"

"It's perfectly natural; you're a growing girl," he placated, drawing her eyes back to him. "However, while I approve of the boy, despite his…character…" Hinata smiled slightly. "There's something…unique about him; if left unchecked, it could prove a danger."

"The Nine-Tails…" Hiashi's eyes widened in shock. "He…told me about it…"

* * *

"_Naruto?"_

_The blond boy looked up from the swing he was on, studying his approaching friend before he turned his eyes back to the school in front of him. "Hey, Hinata."_

_She fought down the blood rising to her face as she walked up next to him. "Are…you okay? I didn't see you at Ichiraku when I went to eat…"_

"_Hm?" Blue eyes looked up, to see the sky beginning to darken. "Oh. Didn't notice what time it was, heh." Naruto looked back at the building. "Guess I'm not hungry today..."_

_Now Hinata was worried. "Naruto, what's wrong? Maybe I can help…"_

_A silence laid over the pair. After a few minutes, the Hyuuga heiress opened her mouth to repeat the question—_

"_Do you think I'm a monster?"_

_Her jaw hung for a second, before she forced a sound out. "W-What?"_

_Naruto turned to look at the girl with what she could only describe as broken eyes. "Am I a monster, Hinata?"_

"_M-Monst— NO! What…?" The bluenette stumbled over her words. "How…how can you think that you are?_

"_Mi… Someone… Last night… Someone said I was the Nine-Tailed Fox… When the Fourth Hokage beat it, and… and 'killed' it…" Naruto formed air quotes, then wiped furiously at his eyes. "He took a newborn baby, and… and he sealed it in his stomach… I robbed someone of their life before they were even a day old! I killed a BABY! How—" The blond pulled at his hair. "How do either of us know I won't do the same to someone else? How do we know I won't kill _you_, too?! How can you stand to look at—"_

_He took a sharp breath as a hand collided with his cheek. Shocked blue turned to find closed eyes as the girl in front of him cried. "H-Hinata?"_

"_St-stop it…" she murmured, sniffling. "Stop blaming yourself. You're not… You're not the Nine-Tails… You're not a…demon…" Lavender eyes opened, shining with tears as the girl smiled shakily. "You're Uzumaki Naruto. You're keeping all of us safe, by holding the Nine-Tails back… Y-You're the boy…" She trailed off and wiped her own eyes with her free arm. "You're the boy who's going to become Hokage… You're my friend, and I… I believe in you…"_

"_Hinata…" he breathed out as his hand laid itself over the Hyuuga Princess's. After a second, he stood up and wrapped his other arm around the girl in a hug. "Thank you, Hinata…"_

_She only responded by hugging him back and nodding into his shoulder._

* * *

Hiashi studied his daughter as she looked down at her hands. "… I'm proud of you."

"Eh?" She looked up to see a ghost of a smile playing on her father's lips.

"Naruto trusted you with his darkest secret, and you looked right past it at the boy who wanted nothing more than attention, and you gave it to him." He sipped at his tea once more. "That takes incredible maturity."

Hinata was silent as she processed the elder's words, before smiling herself and nodding.

"Now, I believe Kakashi is testing you tomorrow morning?" His daughter nodded again. "Then you may leave, and get some rest."

"Yes. Thank you, father." Hinata stood up from her kneel and bowed, before walking to the door and opening it. She stepped over the threshold—

"Good night, Hinata."

The girl paused as the words reached her ears, before she smiled and responded softly. "Good night, papa…"

The door slid shut.

* * *

"Hey, guys!"

Both Hinata and Sasuke looked up at the new voice, finding their blond teammate running over. The former smiled brightly.

"Hello, Naruto."

"Idiot," Sasuke commented with a smirk, getting a grin and tongue sticking out through it in response. "Did you sleep in? It's nearly 9."

"Hehe." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "My alarm clock's kinda…busted…" The Uchiha snorted in amusement. "'Sides, I don't see sensei anyway, so I'm not late!" His grin fell off of his face as his arm crossed. "Fucking jerk being late…"

"Well, now we know. Kakashi says 8, we show up a little before 10." Hinata and Naruto both laughed at Sasuke's comment.

"Hey there, kids!"

The three Genin turned to find their Jonin instructor walking over to them, waving. He held an alarm clock with his left hand.

"YOU'RE LATE!" the loudest of the trio shouted.

The silver-haired man feigned shock. "I am? But I made sure to set my alarm super early for today."

"It's nearly nine o'clock." Sasuke deadpanned at the blatant lie.

"Oh…" Kakashi eye smiled. "Whoops!" Naruto twitched. "Never mind that, now." He set the clock on one of the three posts near the lake. "Now, for the test, you'll need to get one of these bells that I have on me, before noon. Succeed, and I'll give you guys lunch." He pulled three bento boxes to three growling stomachs. "Fail, and you'll be tied to a post here while I eat it in front of you."

"Ah…" Five eyes turned to the sole female. "Sensei, you only have two bells on your belt…"

"Astute observation, Hinata." Kakashi eye smiled again. "You're correct; one of you will be failing no matter what.

"WHAT?!" Naruto gawked. "That's bullshit, y'know!"

"My test, my rules." The Jinchuriki growled at the Jonin's answer. "Now, if any of you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you'll fail. Trust me on that."

"Fine by me!"

Before Naruto could fire off the shuriken in his fingers, Kakashi was behind him, holding the stars to his neck. All three Genin were visibly shocked at the speed.

"I didn't say start." More growling from the blond. "Still, you're eager to get started. I'm starting to really like you guys." Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke respectively smiled, grinned, and smirked at the praise. "Now… GO!"

All four ninja vanished from the clearing.

* * *

**And chapter four! With a flashback! What is it with this series and flashbacks?**

**The writer's block is going away! Very slowly… I may do a one-shot to really kill it. Trying to figure out what series and how I want to do it.**

**For those who don't know, Naruto Gaiden is out. It's post 700, and currently focused more on Sarada than anyone else. That's the only spoiler I'm giving.**

**So review, fave, follow, and find tropes! I would say read, but 99.9% of you did read the story before the A/N. The .1% who didn't? To quote Stewie Griffin: You are just the worst type of person.**

**I acknowledge I'm just as horrible for saying that.**

_**Spasibo za chteniye!**_


	5. The Test

**Disclaimer: Kein eigenes Naruto.**

* * *

"_Now… GO!"_

_All four ninja vanished._

… Not exactly.

"You're…kind of an odd one, aren't you?"

Naruto grinned predatorily and rubbed the underside of his nose with a finger. "Heh, only thing odd here is your hair!"

Kakashi kept a lazy stare on the blond, before shrugging. "Eh. I guess this works out; I can give you a lesson on the first Ninja Staple: Taijutsu." Then the Jonin reached into his pack.

"H-Hey wait!" Naruto blinked "You said Taijutsu; why the hell you pullin' a weapon?!"

"What?" Kakashi gazed at the Genin, confused, as he drummed his fingers on the book in his hand. "Oh, no, no. Don't mind me; just some light reading."

There was a silence. A small rustle of leaves where either Sasuke or Hinata had hidden. A smack from where Sasuke had hidden…

"Huh?!" Naruto gawked. "But-but… Shouldn't ya be payin' attention to the fight?!"

Kakashi waved him off, eye never leaving the book. "Don't worry; I won't need to."

There was a few seconds pause, before the older male was seemingly proven wrong by blocking and grabbing a double punch to the chest and gut. His one brown eye locked with the 12 year old's slit amethyst. "Hinata help you with Taijutsu?"

"Mr. Hiashi, too, a little." The blond's conversational tone didn't match the glare on his face. "Still think I ain't worth it, y'know?"

"Honestly…yes." One foot in the stomach and Naruto was back where he began, except on his stomach. The Jinchuriki got up, growling, and shot off at a speed that even Kakashi wasn't expecting, throwing a slash. Naruto's wrist was grabbed in a death grip, and the boy was thrown to the ground. The Jonin pressed into the blond's back with a knee. "Calm down, Naruto."

"Shut up!" Naruto was rewarded with more knee in his back.

"I said calm down," Kakashi spoke with severe conviction. This gave Naruto enough of a pause for Kakashi to lean down to speak with the Uzumaki without the other two overhearing them. "The Hokage told me you know of the Nine-Tails."

Naruto grunted, looking up with purple eyes. "What about it? Gonna call me a monster and kick me off the team?"

"I didn't say that." Kakashi stood up, hoisting the blond with him. He turned the 12 year old to face him. "Your anger draws on its power. If you get too angry, it can take control." Naruto looked down ashamed as his eyes faded back to cerulean. "Now I suggest you go hide and come up with a plan." The silver-haired man nodded at the woods. "Time's ticking."

The Genin jumped away.

* * *

Hinata watched as Naruto dove into the trees a bit to her right. She slowly turned in that direction and walked over, careful not to make any noise. However, a twig snapping behind her caught her attention. She spun, only to find leaves fluttering down in front of her. A thud behind her brought her attention to the body of her friend on the ground, Sasuke behind it. His face stone cold.

There was a kunai in Naruto neck.

"I can't have you and him slowing me down," the Uchiha spoke, monotonous. "I need all the power I can get as fast as I can get it. Kakashi can help, for now anyway." He drew another knife, and begun advancing slowly as Hinata backed away in fear, head shaking slowly. "_You_, the scared, weak little princess of the Hyuuga? You're naught but a hindrance to my goal." The knife flew at the girl as her eyes widened…

And passed right through her head as she threw her hands in the seal to activate her bloodline.

"_**Byakugan**_!"

Sasuke and Naruto shimmered, before fading to reveal Kakashi giving an eye smile. "Very good!" he praised, before nodding behind him. "He's over that way, if you want to know. Not sure what he's doing, really."

Hinata stared at the man critically, before kicking up a cloud of dust as she ran. Kakashi chuckled, before moving towards Sasuke's position for the Ninjutsu test.

* * *

A rustling to his side prompted Naruto to draw a kunai from his pouch, only to lower it once he saw it was Hinata. He smiled. "You're okay!"

The girl nodded, smiling herself. "Kakashi-Sensei tested my skill in Genjutsu; I think he's testing Sasuke on Ninjutsu now."

"Hm." Naruto crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. "Somethin' don't seem right…"

"I…think there's more to this test than we were told…" Naruto opened his eyes and looked at the heiress. "There wouldn't be any way for the three of us to fight a Jonin by ourselves. Kakashi-Sensei would know that."

The blond blinked. "So, we gotta work together, you mean?" His face twisted in comical disgust. "With _Sasuke_?!"

To the girl's credit, she _tried_ to appear stern. It's just not possible to hold such an expression while giggling. "He is our teammate; we should work as a team," she reprimanded him with a small smile.

"Fine, fine!" Naruto grinned back. "C'mon; let's go find him!" He took hold of Hinata's hand (sending blood to her cheeks) and the duo went searching for Sasuke.

* * *

They found him. In a way. "Um…" Hinata stalled.

Naruto stared at Sasuke.

Sasuke stared at Naruto.

Naruto fell over laughing and Sasuke glowered in response. "Dammit, you idiot, stop laughing and help me out!"

No answer.

Hinata (barely) managed to keep from giggling at the pathetic sight herself as she bent down to dig at the dirt the Uchiha was stuck in. "W-What happened?"

"Kakashi used some Earth technique he called Headhunter," he replied as an arm was freed and he pushed himself out of his earthen prison. "Had a clone pop up from under my feet and drag me down."

"You—ha ha—You looked like a freakin' stress ball!"

"I will kick your ass, loser!" Sasuke shouted back at the still laughing blond.

"P-Please, calm down!" Hinata stepped between the two boys, giggling a bit herself. "Naruto, remember why we're here."

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto stood up as the last of his laughing fit subsided. "Oh, jeez; I wish I had a camera."

Sasuke looked about ready to choke him.

"But, yeah," the blond continued, "me an' Hinata kinda need your help."

The Last Uchiha counted to ten in his head as he leveled a stare at the younger boy. "What kind of help?"

"Kakashi-Sensei is a Jonin," Hinata reminded him, "and the three of us are Genin fresh from the Academy. It stands to reason that we couldn't beat him in a one-on-one…"

There was a small silence before Sasuke's eyes widened. "But all three of us fighting together stand a far better chance of winning…"

"Yeah!" Naruto grinned. "You up for it?"

Another, tenser silence.

"Fine; I'm in."

"YES!" Naruto jumped up as he whooped. "Okay, now let's go kick Kaka-sensei's ass, y'know!"

"'Kick my ass', eh?"

Naruto spun around and pointed at the smiling Kakashi, grinning himself. "You be—"

_**RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!**_

All three Genin gaped as Kakashi seemed to smile just a bit more. "Seems you're wrong, there, Naruto."

Small beat…

"FUCK!"

"Now hang on, there." Kakashi held his hands up to placate the near-hyperventilating blond. "You don't fail until I say you do. Quick question: what was your plan?"

"W-Well, uh…" Hinata fidgeted. "I was thinking… Naruto could send clones to keep you preoccupied… Sasuke would provide cover from afar with his Ninjutsu… And I would sneak into the clone crowd and take the bells…"

The Jonin nodded his approval. "Solid plan. Say it worked. Naruto, who would get the bells?"

"Heh?" The blond blinked. "Well, Hinata, definitely, 'cause it was her plan. And…" He glanced over to the oldest Genin in the area. "Sasuke would get the other one."

"N-Naruto?!"

"Why Sasuke?" Kakashi ignored the shocked gazes both him and Hinata were giving the blond.

"'Cause he's the Rookie of the Year, yeah? And I'm dead last. If anyone _needs_ more classes, it's me."

"B-But your dream!" Hinata ran up to her secret crush, and grabbed his hand in both of hers. "What about being Hokage?"

"Nah, it's fine!" Naruto grinned, but it was strained. "I can handle one more year! Especially if it's Iruka-sensei, again."

"N-No!" She threw her arms around him. "Y-You can take my bell!"

"Wha—" Naruto gawked for a second. "Hina—"

"Hey."

The Jinchuriki and the Heiress both looked at the voice, finding Sasuke standing in front of them. He was holding a bell in each hand.

And pushing them both towards his teammates.

"Sasuke, what're you doing?"

"Giving you both the bells," Sasuke answered the blond as if it were obvious. "I could breeze through remedial classes easy. Plus, I'm not so heartless as to split the pair of you up."

Then the clapping started. "Congratulations, you all pass!"

Pause.

"… W-What?"

"You pass!" Kakashi repeated. "You're all willing to repeat the Academy for your teammates' sakes. You're putting their needs ahead of your own."

"So…" Naruto blinked. "It was…teamwork?"

"Yes."

"YES!" Naruto whooped a second time, hugging Hinata close. "We passed, we passed!"

"I want to show you guys something. Follow me." Kakashi led the kids to an obsidian stone, carved with names. "This stone holds the names of some of the village's bravest heroes."

"Hehe!" Naruto started hopping in place. "You can bet I'm gonna get my name on there, then!"

"All of these men and women died in battle."

Naruto stopped hopping in place, catching what his instructor meant. The other Genin also seemed somber.

"My teacher, the Fourth Hokage; everyone who died fighting the Nine-Tails when it attacked;" Naruto flinched, "those who perished in the Shinobi World Wars; etc.," the man listed off.

"Did…" Both Hinata and Sasuke turned to Naruto, who was staring at the rock slab, "Did my mom and dad… I mean, are they…"

"They're both on here," Kakashi confirmed, turning to see the blond deflate somewhat. "I can't show you—too many names to go through. But I know they would be proud of you." The man eye-smiled. "You mother, especially."

The boy nodded, grinning somewhat.

"Tomorrow we'll start missions as Team 7, but for now, let's go get some lunch; something fresh, too. Not those old bento." Kakashi offered, walking back to the village. "My treat."

Team 7 all grinned at each other, and fell in line behind the Jonin. They could only guess what awaited them.

* * *

**FFFFFFFFFFF**

**Okay. I updated Ripples of a Pebble with a post-beta message. If you don't yet know, it's on hiatus because I backed myself into a corner with Wave; I **_**really**_** don't want to redo the fight with Zabuza with just Tenten in Sakura's place. As such, I'm having problems trying to figure out where she'd come into it.**

**I also did a Five Nights at Freddy's One-shot, if you like the series' lore. What was the Purple Guy thinking when he dismantled the animatronics?**

**As for **_**this**_** story, I have a poll on my profile. Where should Team 7's first (non-D rank) mission take place? Go vote!**

**In real life news, I'm planning on moving. Again. Into a house with my brother and two of his friends from college. Saves money in the long run. Also I **_**STILL**_** need a job. But I'm also in wrestling school!**

**Remember to review, fave, follow, and all that brilliant stuff! Especially review with constructive criticism.**

_**Danke fürs Lesen!**_


	6. C-Rank

**Disclaimer: I don't have a job, yet! I technically don't even own my car!**

* * *

"_This is Squad Leader; status report, over."_

"_This is Hawk. I'm in position A."_

"_Moon is in position B, over. Target is in sight."_

"Shadow in position C. I can see the target, too."

"_Okay, remember the plan: Shadow and Moon drive the target out straight to Hawk, who will intercept and capture. Understood?"_

"_Sir!"_ Naruto replied alongside his teammates.

"_On my mark…"_ The blonde tensed his legs at Kakashi's words. _"… Mark!"_

The blond shot out, Hinata some feet away from him. Both caught the attention of the target, who shrieked and turned, making its escape.

Said escape was swiftly cut off as Sasuke snatched it out of midair. The cage clicked shut.

"Target captured, over."

"_Can you confirm the identity?"_

"Ribbon on the right ear is present, sensei…" Hinata sighed out.

The Jonin dropped down behind his team. "Then mission: 'Retrieve Lost Pet' is complete. Good work, kids." He gave off an eye smile.

* * *

"Oh, my precious Tora! Mommy missed you so much when you ran away!"

The three pre-teens watched as the Fire Daimyo's wife left the Hokage's office, the small cat in her arms in a death grip. Sasuke's face was impassive, and Hinata's had a small measure of pity and understanding for Tora.

Naruto? Well…

"I hope the cat's head pops open from all the blood being squeezed into it."

The heiress looked over to her friend in slight shock. "N-Naruto, that's not nice!"

"Neither is scratching my face so much I'm surprised I haven't bled to death yet!" he countered as tears ran down his cheeks comically.

"…What?"

Naruto grinned at his male teammate like he had won a lottery. "I have _really_ good healing."

The three kids turned to look at the Hokage when he cleared his throat. "Calm down, kids. Now, since it's just after lunch, I can safely assume you'll be able to handle another mission?" The elder looked at Kakashi, who nodded. "There is a mission for babysitting, weeding—"

"TORA!"

"— and retrieving Madame Shijimi's cat," Hiruzen finished without missing a beat.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Naruto made an X formation with his arms. "I'm sick'a these chores, Old Man! Ain't there a cooler mission for us?! Like, like… Guardin' a princess!"

Whap.

"Naruto, are you stupid!?" Iruka shouted, moving back to behind the Hokage. "You three are fresh Genin barely two months out of the Academy!" His face set itself into what Naruto called 'Lecture mode'. "D-Rank missions are handed out to new teams like yourselves for a reason: to build your teamwork—"

"I know, I know!" Naruto grinned and pulled Hinata and Sasuke in by the shoulders, making them look ready to either faint, or rip his arm off, respectively. "But me an' Hinata an' Sasuke are, like, the next Sannin, y'know! We can handle something more challenging than chores!"

"Hm…" The Hokage looked to the Jonin. "Kakashi, do you think they're ready for a C-Rank mission?" he asked, ignoring Iruka's shocked look and Naruto turning to his teacher to beg.

"Oh, me?" The silver-haired man looked at the blond, who had proven himself a master of the Puppy Eyes Jutsu. Hinata and Sasuke were also looking at him with some hope for a 'yes'. The cyclops shrugged in deference. "Eh, why not?"

"AWESOME!" Naruto attached himself to Kakashi's leg. "You're the best, Kaka-sensei!" He then let go to turn to Hiruzen with a wide grin. "So, so, what's the mission, Gramps?! Guardin' a princess, or spyin' on the enemy?!"

"You don't get the mission until you stop trying to rip my desk, Naruto," the old man replied with his own amused grin, causing the blond to chuckle sheepishly and fall back in line next to his teammates. "Now, I have a mission for you three that involves excavating ruins and bringing what you can back here." He pulled a scroll from a small pile and handed it to Kakashi. "You'll be within the ruins for the Hidden Whirlpool Village; I'm confident you three should do fine."

The Jonin stopped his reading and glanced at the Hokage, then to Naruto, who was excitedly talking with (well, to) Hinata about how their team was the best.

"When do we leave?" Sasuke turned to their instructor, who gazed back lazily.

"We can leave tomorrow; say…8 o'clock in the morning?"

"So, 10, then?"

Hiruzen looked amused and Hinata giggled. "Naruto, I'm hurt; do you have such little confidence in my punctuality?"

"Yes." Both Uzumaki and Uchiha shot down Kakashi without remorse. Hinata covered her mouth to keep from laughing further. The Jonin himself eye-smiled. "Show up at 9, then, at least."

Naruto shot a thumbs up and the Hokage cleared his throat, bringing all eyes to him. "You have your mission, kids; go get ready."

"Sur thing, Gramps!" Naruto pulled Hinata from the office. "C'mon, Hinata; let's go get some ramen to celebrate! You, too, ya jerk!" The poor girl stammered out a good-bye to the adults as she was dragged out, Sasuke sighing and following the pair.

Kakashi dropped the light face and turned to Sarutobi, who looked just as serious. "I assume it's going to be a bit more extreme than just simple excavation."

The elder nodded. "Plenty of traps are still active, only passable by those with Uzumaki blood." The man sighed. "I expect Naruto will want to know why he can disable them when you, Sasuke, or Hinata cannot. I'm also expecting him to return demanding information on his clan."

The silver-haired man sighed himself. "Got it." He waved to Hiruzen and Iruka, before vanishing in smoke. Once it dissipated, the latter turned to the former.

"What clan?"

Sarutobi sighed a second time. "Iruka, take a seat; I will tell you all I know of the night of Naruto's birth..."

* * *

**…I have no excuses other than job searching is fucking hell. It's cutting into this, and the wrestling classes I'm in. It's frying my brain.**

**Review, fave, follow, flame my poor sense of scheduling. I'll leave those for everyone to see. Flames against the story will still get nuked.**

_**Gǎnxiè nín de yuèdú!**_


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